The Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) has today (Friday, March 29) submitted a detailed report to the National Fodder and Food Security Committee, highlighting severe challenges faced by farmers due to the prolonged wet weather conditions.
The submission, following from a survey of ICOS members, outlines the urgent need for targeted support and initiatives to alleviate rapidly growing pressures on the agricultural sector.
Speaking in advance of today’s meeting, ICOS president Edward Carr said that farmers are currently grappling with mental and physical exhaustion, financial stress, fodder scarcity, unworkable ground conditions, and significant concerns regarding the health and productivity of their animals.
“The unprecedented weather conditions have led to a dire situation with reduced grazing, delayed fertiliser application, and the potential for long-term impacts on milk production, breeding and soil fertility,” Carr stated.
“Emergency supports are required until weather conditions are more conducive to cattle getting outdoors to graze.
“We need a multi-faceted approach to support the agricultural community during this challenging period.”
Priorities
ICOS has identified the following five main priority areas for immediate action:
Suspension of on-farm inspections: ICOS has called for a one-month suspension of all Bord Bia and Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) on-farm inspections.
This recommendation aims to alleviate current stress and workload on farms and to ensure continued compliance with standards without additional pressure on farmers.
Rebate on feed: A government-matched rebate on feed, mirroring the support already provided by co-operatives, should be implemented, according to ICOS.
The organisation has said that this would ease the financial burden on farmers by reducing the cost of essential supplements needed to bridge the nutritional gap caused by currently inadequate grazing.
Soil fertility: ICOS has also called for a targeted approach to improving soil fertility this year given the reductions in phosphorous and potassium (P&K) in last two years.
ICOS said that it’s important to ensure no impediment to grass production and a strong direct communication campaign from all agencies is needed to get this message out otherwise replenishing fodder reserves could be a challenge.
Joined-up approach with the tillage sector: A collaborative effort should be promoted between dairy, beef, and tillage sectors to optimise forage production, according to ICOS.
It said that DAFM should consider a subsidy to tillage farmers to grow forage crops such as maize, beet and red clover.
Given the late sowing date and reduced forage stocks, ICOS has said that we need to consider the options to support incomes on tillage farms, while rebuilding fodder stocks on livestock farms.
ICOS would also welcome a reduced requirement on the tillage sector to chop straw, while maintaining supports for tillage farmers.
Dissemination of simple and strong advice: Farmers need clear, accessible, and actionable advice to navigate the current crisis.
ICOS emphasised the importance of distributing guidance through co-ops, farm organisations, and agricultural media offering practical strategies for managing the immediate challenges.
In addition to immediate relief measures, ICOS emphasised the importance of long-term resilience planning, collaboration between government agencies and farmer organisations, education on weather-related risks, and regular monitoring of the effectiveness of support measures.
ICOS Dairy Committee chair, Niall Matthews said: “Let nobody lose sight of the critically important role of farmers and cooperatives in ensuring food security.
“Immediate government action is necessary to recognise and support the pressing needs arising from the current weather crisis.
“Farmers are resilient and will come through this challenging period and animal welfare will be prioritised but short-term emergency supports are required until weather conditions are more conducive to allowing cattle outdoors to graze, as there is plenty of grass on farms but ground conditions are very challenging at present.”
ICOS
ICOS is the umbrella organisation for the cooperative movement in Ireland – including dairy processing cooperatives and livestock marts.
These associated businesses have a combined turnover in the region of €16 billion, with 175,000 individual members, employing 12,000 people in Ireland, and a further 24,000 people overseas.
In total, there are 1,000 co-ops in Ireland, and the largest 100 organisations employ approximately 40,000 people.
ICOS aims to promote the cooperative model as a means of enhancing the competitiveness, sustainability, and profitability of its members in the agri-food sector.